


(someone to) watch over me

by Pond_Melody



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [2]
Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hospitalization, Hurt Benji, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Ethan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-06 16:59:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18392561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pond_Melody/pseuds/Pond_Melody
Summary: “Of course I found you.” There’s a teasing note in his voice, a hint of mock offense, but the warmth in his gaze doesn’t falter for a second. “Did you doubt me?”





	(someone to) watch over me

**Author's Note:**

> Another old one, originally submitted to Kerry_0506 on Tumblr. 
> 
> I am aware that the perspective is a little jumpy. I couldn’t bring myself to cut the offending lines, but I may fix it in the future.

The touch of fingertips on his head, warm and feather-light, is not anything that Benji expects to feel in death. He welcomes it anyway.

He opens his eyes, unsure of whether the white light enveloping him is comforting or annoying, until a quiet voice murmurs words into his ear.

“Don’t try to move.” The hand is smoothing his hair back now, but it hasn’t yet occurred to him that the voice and hand may belong to the same person. “Your ribs and spine took a beating. They’ll heal, but you’ll hurt yourself if you’re not careful.”

Warm breath tickles his right ear. A flick of his eyes reveals a familiar face, positively beaming at him.

“Eth’n?” He mumbles.

Ethan’s grin grows even wider, but his eyes betray him. “Right here,” he promises.

This doesn’t make sense. He’s dead, he’s sure of it. The last thing he remembers is his ribs hurting too badly to draw a full breath before he’d panicked and lost consciousness.

His chest burns when the implications of Ethan’s presence register fully. Though he dreads the answer, he asks the question that’s been pressing at the back of his mind since he opened his eyes.

“Where are we?”

“In the hospital. You were admitted two days ago.” Ethan’s voice is soft and so gentle that it makes his chest ache, but not the way it had before. “I thought I lost you.”

“You...found me?”

“Of course I found you.” There’s a teasing note in his voice, a hint of mock offense, but the warmth in his gaze doesn’t falter for a second. “Did you doubt me?”

Benji’s throat closes against his will, eyes filling with tears. He never doubted that Ethan would find him, he just wasn’t sure if he’d still be breathing when he did.

It’s only now that Ethan’s face falls. “No, Benj, I didn’t - I’m sorry. I’m sorry, baby.”  
  
Benji swallows and blinks rapidly before lifting a hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. He takes a deep breath, and then another. “Thought I was dead. Thought I was going to die there.”

Ethan’s stomach clenches at the thought. Benji was much too pale when they found him, the rise and fall of his chest so subtle that he hadn’t been sure it was really there, and there was one horrible second as he waited to feel Benji’s breath on his cheek that he thought he’d been too late.

“I don’t think I’m going to let you out of my sight for a while,” Ethan says. “Is that okay?” He adds, only half-joking. He needs Benji to be comfortable telling him when things aren’t okay, now more than ever.

“Mm,” Benji mumbles, eyes sliding shut without opening again.

He thinks he feels Ethan’s lips on his temple before he slips back under, but he isn’t sure.


End file.
